First Digitally Enabled Panchayat in Odisha

Presently, India is undergoing a Digital Revolution. As the Government of India, under its “Digital India” campaign, continues to promote accessibility and usage of digital modes of payments across India, MicroSave partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to transform one of the most underdeveloped panchayat in Western Odisha into “less-cash” Panchayat. This initiative is a part of the ambitious “Financial Literacy” project of NPCI, which aims to digitally enable panchayats across the country, and encourage active and sustaining village level participation. So, some of the questions likely to come to one’s mind can be – what are some of the key factors that can transform a panchayat into becoming digital, what differences can it bring in going digital, what is likely to be the implication for potential stakeholders, and what changes does it bring to a villager’s experience while making digital payments? Read this report to get answers to these questions.